Buzz
The remaining 50 chimpanzees involved in biomedical studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are set to be transferred to a national sanctuary, as directed by NIH director Francis Collins. This move marks the end of government-funded biomedical research involving primates in the United States.
“We’ve clearly reached a turning point,” Dr. Collins stated in a public announcement. “After reevaluating the necessity of keeping chimpanzees for biomedical research, I have decided that NIH will immediately cease maintaining a colony of 50 chimpanzees for any future studies.”
These 50 chimpanzees have been the sole subjects in NIH-funded biomedical research since 2013, when the NIH concluded that there was minimal justification for their use, citing advancements in scientific methods and technologies that made their involvement largely redundant. Following this decision, over 300 chimpanzees were retired to sanctuaries.
The recent decision to retire the last group of chimpanzees follows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s classification of all chimpanzees—both wild and captive—as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. (Previously, only wild chimpanzees were listed as endangered.) This change introduced a new requirement for researchers in private labs to obtain permits demonstrating how invasive or harmful studies would contribute to the conservation of wild chimpanzee populations. These permits were also open to public feedback. As of September 14, when the new regulations were implemented, no applications for such permits have been submitted, according to the NIH.
This is a notable development, as The Humane Society, one of the groups that pushed for the endangered species classification, estimates that around 700 chimpanzees are still used in private research facilities across the U.S.
The retired chimpanzees will be relocated to Chimp Haven, the national sanctuary in Keithville, Louisiana, which has been a haven for retired research chimpanzees since 2002. The transfer will occur as space becomes available, ensuring a smooth transition for each chimpanzee while prioritizing their health, well-being, and social dynamics, as outlined in Collins’ statement.
Collins emphasized that this decision is specific to chimpanzees. “Research involving other non-human primates will continue to be supported, valued, and conducted by the NIH,” he stated.
